July 5, 2013
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands) – James Whittaker
Aboriginal concepts aiding Cayman’s war on gangs
Using events at the Hobbema First Nations Community in western Canada’s Bear Hills, Inspector Charles Wood of the RCMP brought the experiences to the Cayman Islands to help them deal with gangs and crime. You know you have troubles ‘when the home fires are weak,’ he says. http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/07/04/Aboriginal-concepts-aiding-Cayman-s-war-on-gangs
Prison Education (US) – Dianne Frazee-Walker
Adult Restorative Justice
The possible diversity of RJ approaches to reduce recidivism with adult and juvenile inmates is illustrated by the Mural Art re-entry program in Philadelphia. Inmates work on murals on walls within prison and also on fabric for placement in the city. http://www.prisoneducation.com/prison-education-news/adult-restorative-justice.html
Vancouver Province – Larissa Cahute
Sikh community holds anti-gangs summit
Thirty representatives from 11 Sikh temples in the Lower Mainland of BC gathered to pursue local solutions to gang problems. The summit included RCMP and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-B.C. following an initiative prompted by Sikh leadership in response to frequent violence within the community. http://www.theprovince.com/news/Sikh+community+holds+anti+gangs+summit/8583905/story.html#ixzz2YB3jLz4J
Huffington Post (US) – Blogger Tom Snyder
Criminal Justice and Community Colleges
Thanks to all the forensic science shows on TV like CSI, community colleges are anticipating a 10% increase in students study various criminal courses through 2018. The growth seems sustained by increasing prison populations, more police personnel, better salaries and higher educational levels for job qualification. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-snyder/criminal-justice-and-comm_b_3542685.html
OJJDP
Webinar for Faith-Based and Community Leaders: Helping Children of Incarcerated Parents
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Justice Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP) will present the Webinar “Faith in Action: Working with Children of Incarcerated Parents.” The webinar happens July 9, 2013 at 2 PM and is free. The content includes youth delinquency, substance abuse and poor academic performance. To register: https://events-na8.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/1110525827/en/events/event/shared/default_template_simple/event_registration.html?sco-id=1146050609&_charset_=utf-8 For the resources offered and links: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fbnp/resources.htm
Monterey County Herald (CA) – Julia Reynolds
Judges reject California’s request to delay inmate release
Three judges on a federal court panel have rejected pleas from California for delay in the previously required release of 10,000 prison inmates. The US Supreme Court has upheld the federal judges ruling to reduce the population to 110,000. California’s Governor Brown had announced the intent to appeal for a stay if the state’s request was denied but has not actually filed an appeal to date. http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_23596525/judge-reject-states-request-delay-prison-realignment
GPB News / Associated Press – (Atlanta, GA)
Locks Failing On High Security Cells
High security prisons in Georgia seem to have a problem that is making life dangerous for some inmates. Four deaths have been blamed on the failure of the cell doors to lock at Hayes State Prison where inspections concluded that 41% were not operating properly. Human Rights groups are alleging a delay of almost a year in servicing the locks as a factor in the four deaths. http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/07/03/locks-failing-on-high-security-cells
St. Louis Post Dispatch (US) – Valerie Schremp Hahn
St. Louis pastor hopes toy gun buyback starts conversation about roots of violence
On July 13, kids can bring in toy guns and violent video games and exchange them for other toys. Rev. Rodney Francis has some volunteers working at collections points while others are fund raising to buy the substitute toys. The collection was intended to encourage community dialogue and discussion about the causes of some 108 homicides in St. Louis last year. The pro-rights gun group have been critical that that Francis “was fostering a fear of guns among children.” http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-pastor-hopes-toy-gun-buyback-starts-conversation-about/article_be7dc642-9897-570d-acf1-f9248c283421.html